


You Make Me Sick

by Blouscail



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, One Shot, Sick Merlin (Merlin), Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-10 20:32:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18415331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blouscail/pseuds/Blouscail
Summary: In which Merlin is awfully ill, and Arthur has run out of excuses to get out of exams. It’s a perfect solution, really.





	You Make Me Sick

**Author's Note:**

> Um... hi? (I'm new at this, can you tell?) 😅
> 
> I have just about a million WIPs sitting in my computer and/or Evernote, judging me for never completing them. But this one is super short, simple enough, and a way for me to get out of my head for once and dive in (or as Shia would say... just. DO IT). All things considered, having written this little oneshot, completed it, and being actually kind of sort of proud of it is nothing short of a miracle for me. I hope you appreciate it too 😊
> 
> Thank you to A for agreeing to read this over, even if I feel like it grossed you out more than anything 😜
> 
> Ok, enough stalling. Here we go. 😬

“You want me to _what_ ?” Merlin yelled, his voice cracking on the last word. Arthur, fervent as ever, only rolled his eyes and carried on. 

“Was I not clear enough?” The blonde replied, annoyance tinting his every word. 

“You were very clear, what I’m failing to understand is why you would ask me to kiss you while snot is literally dripping down my nose as we’re speaking.”

Merlin had been ill since the beginning of the week, a nasty cold that had been steadily making its way around campus and that had robbed him of any and all energy. He was hiding out in his flat, drinking copious amounts of tea, watching Doctor Who reruns and generally sparing the world from his germ-ridden self when Arthur decided to barge in with an idea to _snog_ out of all things. 

“Admittedly, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture,” His friend said, wincing while he evacuated the contents of his nose. “I just really need a way out of exams.”

Merlin couldn’t help but scoff. In a twisted way, this was just another one of his self-serving schemes. And to say he had thought it so sweet when Arthur claimed he came to him as soon as he heard of his cold. He should’ve known better, really. In all the years he had known Arthur, he had never proven himself to be the nursing type. 

“Have you finally run out of excuses?” Merlin replied with a smirk. 

“Do you really think I’d be here if I wasn’t?”

“Dunno, maybe I’m irresistible,” Merlin said, trying to pose seductively. If the collection of gangly limbs was already not appealing, the old PJs and bathrobe, the frankly awful state of his already unruly hair and the puffy look this cold was giving him definitely weren’t helping.

“Oh yeah, your glassy eyes and red nose are just doing it for me.” Arthur snorted.

“And yet here you are, begging for that exact same look,” Merlin said, raising his eyebrow, still entirely skeptical.

“Shut up, Merlin. Are we doing this or what?” Arthur dismissed his last comment in favour of moving things along. Merlin’s amused grin faded.

“You’re really serious, aren’t you?”

“I’m seriously not ready for those exams, and I’m seriously out of options. So yes.” He said, putting his hands on his hips, conveying he meant business.

“Fuck, I’m disgusting, Arthur. _I_ wouldn’t want to kiss me right now.” Merlin laughed. 

“Yep,” Arthur said, everything about him uneasy. 

“You’re insane.” Merlin shook his head. 

“Probably.” He shot back immediately, seemingly afraid of thinking things through further.

“You know there’s a big chance you’ll get snot in your mouth.”

“Mhm.” Arthur was growing tenser by the second.

“Arthur, you really don’t have to —”

“No, don’t try to talk me down. I dread exams more. I need a way out. Something legitimate.” Arthur said, psyching himself up and sitting down on the couch next to Merlin. He was stunned into silence, staring in awe at his best friend who was right in front of his face, who was breathing the same air as him and still wasn’t backing out. 

“Are we really doing this?” Merlin asked, his voice quieter now.

“Yes, Merlin.” Arthur exhaled, growing impatient.

“So... what kind of —” Merlin attempted to ask, but was quickly cut off.

“Tongues and all. I need all chances on my side.” Merlin sputtered a bit, surprised at such a direct answer. 

“Right.”

“Right.” They held each other’s gaze for another moment longer, both frightfully aware that they were about to cross a line, one that best mates mostly never crossed. But Arthur, being the more courageous (or impatient) out of the two, was the one who caved into the tension. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake...” He grabbed onto Merlin’s jaw with both hands and latched onto his mouth, surprised when a second later his friend pulled back, choking. “What the hell is the matter with you?” He said angrily. Merlin glared back in Arthur's direction, bewildered at his accusation.

“With me?? I can’t breathe through my nose, Arthur! And you caught me by surprise.”

“It’s a good thing I did, if it were up to you, I think we’d be standing here until tomorrow.”

“Fuck off.” Merlin spat, crossing his arms and turning away. 

“Okay, I’m sorry, let’s just... go again. Slower.” Merlin was surprised at Arthur’s patience. He must be truly desperate. Turning to face him again, he met him in the middle when their lips touched. It was definitely awkward, with Merlin having to open his mouth to be able to breathe, but Arthur kept at it steadily. Taking advantage of Merlin’s open mouth, Arthur swiped his tongue against his lip, a silent plea to deepen the kiss. When Merlin answered with his own tongue, Arthur wasted no time moving forward, sucking and biting at his bottom lip and licking gingerly at every corner of Merlin's mouth. Somewhere along the way, Arthur's hands had also found themselves back along Merlin’s jaw and then slowly reached even further to get lost in his mess of dark curls. Merlin wasn’t sure how Arthur would react with his own clammy hands along his neck, but apparently, they were welcome. He wasn’t aware of how long they went at it, but it still felt too short when he finally pulled back, unable to suppress a cough, and subsequently blowing his nose. That’s when Arthur finally noticed the wetness under his own nose, and quickly wiped it away with his sleeve. 

“Well, that should do it,” Merlin said with a rough voice, sounding a little out of breath, but still satisfied. 

“Yeah...” Arthur replied, also struggling to breathe. He sounded far away, and when Merlin glanced back at his friend, he found him rather entranced by his mouth. Merlin’s heart sped up, his gaze drifting down to Arthur’s own kiss-swollen lips. And was he dreaming, or was Arthur actually getting infinitesimally closer…? He shouldn’t hope for it, but seeing Arthur looking at him that way, as if he could never get enough of his kisses, made his stomach flutter with promise. 

“Unless...” Merlin started quietly, breaking the loaded silence between them. Arthur’s eyes shot up to meet Merlin’s, who lasted half a second before bowing his head down and scratching the back of his neck. “If you think you might need more time. So you can be sure. That you get sick, I mean.” Merlin stumbled through his thoughts, fiddling with his hands. When he chanced a look back at Arthur, he saw the confusion slowly ease off his features to melt into something he didn’t quite recognize. At last, Arthur’s shoulders dropped, and finally, _finally_ , he smiled. And it wasn’t one of his usual prattish, smug smiles either, it was the kind that lit up his face, the one that was unguarded and genuine, the rarest of them all. Merlin could only give him a tentative quirk of his lips in return, because even if the smile on his face said a lot, Arthur himself hadn’t. And though he always teased him about it, Merlin knew there was actually a lot of thinking going on in that brain of his, especially when he was this quiet. Slowly, Arthur reached for his fidgety hands and held them in his own, his thumbs swiping softly at their knuckles in a soothing gesture. 

“Yeah, I need to be really sure.” Arthur offered, trying to sound nonchalant. Merlin was positively beaming now, and Arthur replied in kind, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. And so, even if he could’ve sworn he just heard Arthur sniffle, they spent the next hour snogging senseless, for good measure. 

**Author's Note:**

> Was it a ~~reach~~ risk tagging this as a sickfic seeing as there's little to no h/c in here? Maaaaybe...
> 
> Please tell me how I did! I welcome any and all criticism, seriously.


End file.
